HARARE, Zimbabwe — Leaders of the United Methodist Church expressed regret over last week's decision by the branch in Ivory Coast to leave the union following the church's decision to repeal a long-standing ban on LGBTQ+ clergy but pledged to accept it.
The developments were the latest in a series of ripple effects in conservative Africa, which is home to the vast majority of United Methodists outside the United States, amid disputes on sexuality and theology that have shaken the Methodist churches.
In early May, delegates at the church's first legislative gathering in five years voted overwhelmingly to remove a rule forbidding ''self-avowed practicing homosexuals'' from being ordained or appointed as ministers.
It was a sharp contrast to past General Conferences of the United Methodist Church, which had steadily reinforced the ban and related penalties amid debate and protests. The change doesn't mandate or even explicitly affirm LGBTQ+ clergy, but it means the church no longer forbids them.
But each member church was free to decide for itself — and while some bishops favored staying on, others pushed to disaffiliate.
On May 28, Ivory Coast's church voted to split from the United Methodists. With over 1.2 million members, the West African country's church has one of the denomination's largest overseas followers. The United Methodist Church has about 5.4 million members in the United States, and about 4.6 million in Africa, Europe and the Philippines, according to church figures.
In its first reaction following last week's vote, the church's Council of Bishops said on Wednesday that ''while we grieve'' Ivory Coast's decision, "we commit to work with them through the process of becoming an Autonomous Methodist Church.''
''While we are not all of one mind in all things, the strength of our connection is love, respect, compassion and a shared commitment to faith in Jesus Christ,'' the council said in a statement.
